A countryside charity in West Sussex has hit back at plans for the new Arundel bypass saying it's 'appalled by the lack of green choices.'

It was unveiled after the preferred option last year provoked criticism, with claims it could have wiped out the entire village of Binstead.

However, the six new options have now come under fire by CPRE Sussex who says that none of them offer any green transport alternatives and that all would involved destruction of valuable woodlands and all but one would negatively impact the South Downs National Park.

“We are appalled at the dismissive way Highways England has treated any alternatives to road building,” “Nearly all our councils have now declared a climate emergency and road building on this scale just isn’t compatible with the county’s new emissions targets. All these options fly in the face of everything Sussex has pledged to do in response to the overwhelming evidence of a climate crisis”.

Kia Trainor, CPRE Sussex Director

CPRE Sussex is now calling on Highways England to stop the process and urgently reconsider its approach to green transport.

“Most of the road options on the table are completely unaffordable, and all are extremely environmentally damaging,” says Kia. “The money would be far better spent on improving alternative modes transport by investing better rail services and buses. But Highway England has completely failed to consider this as an option which is shocking.”